President Droupadi Murmu will give out the National Awards to Teachers 2026 to 21 teachers and faculty members of higher education institutions and polytechnics on Teachers’ Day, September 5. The awards will take place at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, to recognize educators who have contributed to teaching, research, innovation and outreach.
National Awards for Teachers in Higher Education and Polytechnic institutions for 2026 are intended to recognise the contributions of teachers who go beyond what is taught in a classroom. According to the Ministry of Education, the 2026 awardees are from various institutions and academic fields, which we consider a testimony to India’s large higher education sector.
Of the 21 awardees selected, 12 teachers and faculty members are from central higher education institutions. Another five are from state universities, including educators associated with three government colleges and two private colleges. The remaining four awardees are from polytechnic institutions, with two from government polytechnics and two from private polytechnics.
The awardees are from a broad range of disciplines. The official list includes faculty members working in sustainable architecture and built environment, chemical engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, metallurgy and materials science, plant sciences, earth sciences, forensic pharmacy and food forensics and chemical sciences. This diversity emphasises the role of educators in supporting academic learning and specialised professional education.
As part of the selection process of the National Awards to Teachers 2026 online nominations were made with the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal. Self-nomination, institutional nomination and peer nomination were included as part of the process in an attempt to promote more participation. Nominations for this year's awards were invited between May 26 and July 20, 2026.
The evaluation is focused on aspects of an educator’s contribution. Educational effectiveness, outreach, research and innovation, sponsored research, faculty development programs and consultancy teaching are among the areas of study taken into consideration in the selection process. These parameters recognise the impact of higher education faculty on teaching, research, community involvement and professional growth.
The expansion of the National Awards to Teachers to higher education institutions and polytechnics is also a part of the broader goals of National Education Policy 2020. The Ministry of Education has mentioned that two categories for higher education institutions and polytechnics were introduced under the awards framework in 2023. Earlier the national awards were primarily associated with school teachers.
The initiative is an acknowledgement of faculty members who do so well and can inspire others in the education field. Higher education teachers do so not only in lectures and academic instruction but also research, innovation, mentoring, outreach programs and professional guidance.
In the technical and vocational education, polytechnic teachers also have a role to play. With them, students gain practical skills in the field of work and industry knowledge that will later help them land jobs and further education. And polytechnic faculty are included in a national recognition programme which underlines the need for technical education in India's overall development agenda.
The September 5 ceremony will also be part of the nation’s teachers’ day festivities. On the same day, President Murmu will confer National Teachers Awards on 48 school teachers at Vigyan Bhawan. The school-teacher awards are organised annually by the Department of School Education and Literacy to honour teachers for their dedication and contributions to education and to enrich the lives of the students.
The National Awards to Teachers 2026 therefore represent an opportunity to recognize educators working at different levels of India’s education system. From central universities and state universities to government and private polytechnics, the awardees are from various areas of the academic community.
And for the teaching community, this recognition will also help us to acknowledge the work we are doing to create good learning environments, research and innovation, connect education with society and train students for the future. Students and institutions can also take the example of outstanding teachers and their academic dedication and work ethic to the next level.
VIDEO | Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu confers National Teachers' Awards on the occasion of Teachers' Day.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 5, 2026
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/d8jp61yd2p) pic.twitter.com/LH6Fqqb00x
As President Droupadi Murmu presents the awards on Teachers’ Day, the ceremony will place the contributions of higher education and polytechnic faculty at the centre of national attention. 21 teachers are not only in charge of teaching, but also as mentors, researchers, innovators and drivers of the education system in India and the world.
